Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Is Indoctrinating Children Wrong?-Obama in a Textbook

I guess only if you do not believe in what is being indoctrinated. Over the years, I have had many parents of children in public schools comment that religious homeschoolers are just plain wrong for indoctrinating our children by using religious textbooks and teaching a religious world view. My question always is "Do you honestly believe that public school textbooks do not indoctrinate and that they have no worldview?"

For the truth on this matter, follow this link about a mother's concern about her 8th grader's literature textbook featuring a section about Barack Obama and no other current political candidates.

UPDATE: An answer from the school district on why they chose this textbook. Their explanation on how they choose textbooks in general is even scarier than the whole Obama feature. Wake up parents of America!

"The Racine Unified School District DOES NOT endorse any candidate or political party," the school said in a written statement. "The choice of this selection was to provide a contemporary and multicultural figure to explore the unit on community."

Six teachers and three district staff members chose the textbook, district spokeswoman Stephanie Hayden said.

"The Racine Unified School District is a multicultural school district with 49 percent of our student body comprising students of color," the school said. "Identifying materials that reflect our student population is a priority.

"The selection in question is part of a larger unit centered around the question, 'If the people within a community accept each others' difference, how do individuals and their community benefit and prosper?'" the statement continued. "The selections, 'Dreams of My Father' and 'Out of Many, One,' fit into the curriculum by requiring students to engage in the central question around these and other selections."

OK, let me get this straight. The purpose of a literature textbook has nothing to do with teaching children critical analysis of great works of American literature. Now I understand. "Students of color" do not need to learn such lofty things.